Q.3. What does Creon reveal, after coming from the Deiphic oracle, about the cause of the present plague that has descended on the city of Thebes?

Q.3. What does Creon reveal, after coming from the Deiphic oracle, about the cause of the present plague that has descended on the city of Thebes?

Short-Note

Ans. Creon was sent by Oedipus to consult the Delphic oracle about their present plague, and how it can be solved. Creon now returns and tells Oedipus that all the sufferings of the people, according to the Deiphic oracle, are due to the fact that the murderer of the last King of Thebes, Laius, still lives in the city unknown to anybody. In order to remove the plague, they must avenge the murder of the king the killer must be killed or banished from the city. Oedipus did not know about the murder of King Laius. So he asks Creon about it. In answer Creon gives a brief description of the circumstances in which King Laius was killed. The late King left the city on a journey of pilgrimage. He had some of his men as his attendants on his pilgrimage. He never came back. One of the attendants came back and told the people that a band of robbers fell in with the king’s party and put all of them to death. No enquiring was made into the murder of Laius because the city was in the grip of the monster Sphinx, who was devouring every Theban that happened to pass by her and could not solve the riddle given him by her. Oedipus solved the riddle, the monster killed herself, and thus the ôity was relieved of the great curse. People made Oedipus king of their land, and married him to the widowed queen Jocasta.